Ditching-machine.



W. HUBERTZ.

DITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC21.1914

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Sept.

ZZZEKZIZQ n 0 r Attorneys W. HUBERTZ.

DlTCHlNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.21,I914.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

r O t n e V n Witnesses Attorneys COLUMBIA PL c0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

outrun *srarns g,

WILLIAM HUBERTZ, or LAFAYETTE, INDIANA.

DI'rcHING-MACHINE.

1 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WJLLIAM a citizen ofthe'United States, residing at La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoeand State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Ditching-Machine,of which the following is a specification.

This mventlon relates to dltchmg machines, and is more particularlydesigned as wheels and to provide supporting wheels of novel formwhereby a more efficient connection may be had' between the wheels andthe frame than has heretofore been possible I where spindles or the likehave been used.

\Vith the foregoing and other ob ects in view which will appear asthedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts andin the details of construction hereinafter-ddscribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in thepreciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of theinvention has beenshown.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of aditching machine having the present improvements combined therewith.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the supporting wheels. Fig. 3 is asection on line AB Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a perspective view of the brakelever. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the pivotal connections betweenthe di-tcher frame and the supporting structure. .Fig. 6 is a detailview of another form of connection.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates theframe of the ditching mechanism, a portion of the ditching wheel orexcavator being indicated at 2. This mechanism constitutes no part ofthe present invention and can be of that type disclosed in my patenthereinbefore referred to or can be of anyother form desired. It might bestated, however, that the frame 1 is provided with drums or windlasses 3connected to cables 4 which, in turn, are extended through blocks 5attached to the frame 1 and to side standards 6, there beingSpecification of Letters Patent.

HUBERTZ,

fatented'sept. 7,1915.

Application filed December 21, 1914. .Seria'1NoL878,3 82.

any suitable means provided for rotating the drums or wlndlasses so asthus to ralse or lower the framel relative to the sides or standards 6.Connected to the frame 1 ad Jacent the top thereof are oppositely disposed V-shaped links 7, the terminals of the I links being outturnedasat 8 and pivotally attached to the standard or side structure (3. Beloweach of the connections 7 is another connection 9 substantially W-shapeand pivotally connected at two intermediate points to the frame 1asshown at 10while its terminalsll and its other intermediate point 12are pivota-lly connected to the side structure 6.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that by taking up the cables tthe frame 1 can be elevated, thus causing the connections 7 j and 9 todraw inwardly uponthe side structure 6. When, however, the cables 1 arepaid out, the connections? and 9 will swing downwardly at their innerends thus lowering the ditchlng or excavating mechanism 2.- Theconnections "7 and 9 serve to hold the side structure 6 constantlyparallel with the ditcher or excavator 2.

Each of the side structures 6 is provided with a supporting wheel in thefrom of a ring 13 constituting the rim of the wheel and which ring has acontinuous V-shaped groove 1a in the inner edge thereof. Side structure6 is provided with a large wheel 15 which bears within the groove 14:and secured to the side structure is a cross bar 16 having smallerwheels 17 likewise extendlng into the groove 14:. Thus it will be seenthat the ring 13 is engaged at three points by the wheels 15 and 17 andis securely braced against lateral sagging while remaining at the sametime free to rotate. A'bracket 18 may be secured to the side structure,this bracket carrying a lever 19 having an angular head 20. One end ofthe lever is connected by a link 21 to an actuating lever 22 which, inturn, has a cable 23 attached vto it and extending upwardly to a pointwhere it can be readily actuated. By means of this structure, the lever19 can be swung relative to the wheel so as to bring its head 20 withinthe groove 14: and operate both to clean the groove and retard therotation of the wheel. In other words, lever 19 constitutes an efficientbrake.

Attention is called to the fact that the wheels 17 are supported abovethe center of the ring 13 so that only the wheel 15 receive's any of theweight of the machine, the

wheels 17 merely serving to hold the'ring combinationwithopposed sidestructures, a ditching frame interposed therebetween, and parallelconnections between each side structure and the adjacent side of theditcher frame, said connections being parallel, of a supporting Wheelconnected to each side structure, each wheel comprising a ring having acontinuous lnterlor groove, and spaced wheels connected to the sidestructure and bearing within the groove.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination With opposedside structures, a ditching frame interposed therebetween,

and parallel connectionsbetween each side structure and the adjacentside of the ditcher frame, said connections being parallel, of asupporting wheel connected to, each side structure, each wheelcomprisinga ring having a continuous interior groove, spaced wheelsconnected to the side structure and bearing within the groove, alevermounted 'upon' each side structure, a second lever fulcrumed adjacent toand actuated thereby, and an angular head carried by said second leverand shiftable into the groove to clean the groove, said headconstituting a brake shoe.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a sidestructure, of a ring constituting a wheel rim and having a continuousV-shaped groove in its inner edge,

a wheel upon the lower'end of the side structure, a cross bar connectedto the side structure, wheels journaled upon the ends of the cross bar,all of said wheels projecting into said groove to hold the ringagainstdisplacement relative to the side structure, a

bracket connected to said side structure and bar, a lever fulcrumedthereon, an angular head upon the lever and constituting means forcleaning the groove, said head likewise vconstituting a'brake shoe, andmeans for actuating the lever to retard or stop the rotation of the ringabout its center.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as .my oWn,,I have heretoaffixed my signature n the presence of two wltnesses.

WILLIAM HUBERTZ. Witnesses:

HARRY M. SNIDEMAN, ARTHUR M. QUEEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1).,0.

